England suffered their first defeat in 41 matches after Canada secured a dramatic 24-21 victory at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday. The result brought an end to an unbeaten streak that stretched back over four years. Canada entered the fixture seeking vengeance for last year’s defeat at the Rugby World Cup.
Scrum-half Olivia Apps stated before the match that the squad had worked extensively throughout the year to prepare for this encounter. Canada had previously halted England’s longer winning run with a 26-26 draw in Exeter.
The hosts defended aggressively early on, stopping England just metres from the try line. The pressure forced Laetitia Royer into an offside infringement that earned her a spell in the sin bin.
England eventually broke through the red wall when Maddie Feaunati touched down. Zoe Harrison then finished off a fluid team move to give the visitors a 14-5 advantage at the interval, despite Canada holding the upper hand in the opening half.
Alysha Corrigan sparked the second-half comeback for Canada with a solo try. Sarah Bern replied immediately for England in a fast-paced contest that kept the home crowd vocal.
Menin added another try for Canada to narrow the gap before Shoshanah Seumanutafa scored with two minutes remaining. That late score put the hosts ahead and sealed the result.
Players and coaching staff rushed onto the pitch at the final whistle to celebrate. Seumanutafa was hoisted into the air as the magnitude of the win sank in.
England head coach John Mitchell faces the unfamiliar task of regrouping after a defeat. The two teams will meet again next week for another Test match.
Mitchell admitted the result was disappointing but noted that his side would benefit from the experience. He explained that winning after winning is difficult and that the setback would help the squad dig deeper.
